Costs Available Online
The West Virginia Health Care Authority unveiled a website that details the costs associated with standard medical procedures at the behest of the State’s Governor. The site delineates the cost for procedures referenced by zip code; including charges at each hospital in the area. It also separates out various charges, differentiating between physician services and hospital costs.
All of this information is made available to patients before they ever undergo a particular procedure. An important consideration for patients is that the costs contained are averages only.
Pricing trends can be gleaned from the site. There is wide variation in charges, particularly between the profit and nonprofit facilities in addition to regional variation.
The site may be particularly useful for patients who do not have health insurance or those whose coverage includes co-payment as a percentage of the total bill. See the report in the Charleston Gazette.
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June 27, 2007 Related topics: Corporate Financials